The Bison football team began their journey for a successful 2019 season on April 12 as they played their annual spring game at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. This was first-year head coach Dave Cecchini’s first time seeing his team in competitive action.

The inter-squad game was split into three scored situational periods. The three periods consisted of a move-the-ball scrimmage, a red-zone scrimmage, and a 4th-down scrimmage. The defensive side claimed the move-the-ball and 4th-down scrimmage, and the offense won the red-zone scrimmage.

During the move-the-ball portion, the defense limited the offense and were able to force punts. The wet conditions did not help the offense with moving the ball. Defensive end Roger Mellado ’20 registered a sack to give the defense a 3-0 victory.

The offense came back in the red-zone scrimmage, securing 20 total points to get the victory. Despite the defense coming out strong, with big goal-line stops from safety Sam Hildebrand ’21 on third and goal from the two-yard line, the offense displayed commendable grit. Touchdown receptions from quarterback Renn Lints ’21 and wide receiver Blais Herman ’20 along with good kicking from kicker Ethan Torres ’20 paved the way for the offensive success.

The offensive side used their momentum in the previous scrimmage to come out strong in the 4th-down drill, scoring on four of their five attempts. Quarterback Tarrin Earle ’22 ran for a 62-yard touchdown in one the series. From there, the defense again stood tall and did not allow the offense to convert on seven-straight chances, earning them the 8-4 win. These stops were highlighted by a sack from defensive line Clay Myers ’20 and an interception returned for a touchdown by linebacker Simeon Page ’20.

“Spring ball was a great learning experience for me these past few months,” middle linebacker Max Bunzel ’21 said. “Waking up at 4 a.m. for practice was difficult, but it allowed me to develop as a player, and helped bring us together as a team.”

The team now awaits summer camp, where they will shift their focus to preparing for the season opener against Temple on Aug. 31 at Lincoln Financial Field.